Protein Banana Muffins Recipe

Name: Protein Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free!)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 bananas; ¾ cup peanut butter ((see notes)); 3 large eggs; ½ cup unsweetened protein powder; ¼ cup honey; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ cup mini chocolate chips ((optional))

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Sneak more protein into your morning with these high protein banana muffins. They taste like banana bread without using flour!

protein banana muffin topped with chocolate chips.

Protein banana bread muffins are the perfect meal prep option for an easy breakfast or snack. They are naturally dairy-free and gluten-free and are made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. (No gluten-free flour required!)

The natural sweetness from bananas paired with honey makes these muffins taste like a slice of banana bread. Only these bake faster and have 9 grams of protein each!

protein powder Tip

I keep unsweetened plant-based protein powder in my pantry. It does NOT taste delicious, but you can’t taste it in the final muffins. You can likely use whey protein powder or a different vegan protein powder, but if it’s sweetened, that could affect the flavor.

protein banana muffin ingredients labeled on a white surface.

How to Make Banana Protein Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 parchment paper liners. (These muffins will want to stick to the muffin liners, so parchment paper makes life easier.)

In a large bowl, mash 3 large ripe bananas with a fork until relatively smooth.

Next, add:

3 large eggs
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup protein powder (~2 scoops)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (if using unsalted peanut butter, add a little more)

substitution Tips

You can swap the baking powder for a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. If you don’t keep honey or maple syrup on hand, you can use a 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead.

Stir well until the batter looks smooth. There should be no visible lumps of protein powder in the mix.

Even though the batter is thick, I find using a whisk to mix it helpful. You can also use an electric hand mixer.

Fold in a 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips, fresh blueberries, shredded coconut, or chopped walnuts if you like. (The added texture is recommended.)

protein muffin batter with chocolate chips added in.

Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until the muffin tops feel firm to the touch.

Test them with a toothpick in the center to ensure there’s no wet batter in the middle. Let these cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

protein banana muffins before and after baking in a muffin tin.

Serve protein banana muffins at room temperature for the best flavor. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or toss them into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. (Thaw overnight before serving again.)

Warm these muffins up in the microwave for 20 seconds if you prefer a warm option.

hand holding half of a protein muffin to show the fluffy texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I increase the protein even more?

Serve this protein muffin with 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt for an extra 13 grams of protein. You may be able to swap one of the bananas for Greek yogurt, but in that case, the muffins won’t taste as sweet.

What if I don’t want to use protein powder?

My almond flour muffins have 8 grams of protein if you don’t mind having more calories per muffin.

Need a nut-free recipe?

Try my other protein muffins recipe, which uses oat flour and olive oil.

Looking for more protein-packed recipes? Try Protein Waffles, Protein Pancakes, Protein Cookies, or Protein Balls.

Protein Banana Muffins (Gluten-Free!)

Protein Banana Muffins are a high-protein breakfast or snack on the go. They have a fluffy texture without using flour or oil!

prep10 mins cook25 mins total35 mins

Servings:12

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Ingredients

3 bananas
¾ cup peanut butter (see notes)
3 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened protein powder
¼ cup honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. These muffins tend to stick to the muffin liners because there's no oil in the batter, so I don't recommend simply greasing the pan.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the 3 bananas with a fork until they look like puree. Then add in the peanut butter, eggs, protein powder, honey, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir well, breaking up any lumps you see in the batter. (Using a whisk helps with this, even though the batter is thick!)
Fold in the chocolate chips, if using, then divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. This batter should fill the muffin cups up nearly to the top. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins feel firm to the touch.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then they are ready to enjoy. Because these muffins are so moist, I recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 muffins without the optional chocolate chips. This information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients from a database, so it’s just an estimate and not a guarantee.

Peanut Butter Note: I tested this recipe with salted peanut butter. (The all-natural kind that needs to be stirred when opened.) If you use unsalted peanut butter, you might want to add an extra pinch of salt to the batter. I’m not sure how processed peanut butter, like Jiff or Skippy, would work in a recipe like this one, so experiment at your own risk.

Protein Powder Note: I tested this recipe with Garden of Life Unsweetened Plant Based Protein powder. It does not taste good on its own, but you don’t notice it in these muffins. Feel free to experiment with other brands and flavors.

High-Protein Note: Recipes that are 20% protein or higher on my website fall into the high-protein category. You can calculate this by multiplying the grams of protein by 4 and dividing that answer by the total number of calories per serving. (In this case, it’s 9 x 4 = 36; 36 ÷ 180 = .20 or 20%.)

Nutrition

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: protein banana muffins

If you try these Banana Protein Muffins, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them.

Protein Banana Muffins

protein powder Tip

How to Make Banana Protein Muffins

substitution Tips

Frequently Asked Questions